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The Eagle's Call!
Edgewater High School
Integrity. Pride. Tradition.
| | Five of our Quarter 1 Honor Roll Eagles enjoying their time during last Thursday's special event. In this edition we included a full spread of pictures for the community in recognition of these students' academic success. | | |
Edgewater High School Community Brief
Monday, October 26, 2026
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Edgewater HS Community Member
This time of year is always one of my absolute favorites as we get to enjoy the beautiful changing colors of the leaves across our campus and community. Just as nature adapts and transforms during this season, our dedicated faculty and staff continuously adjust and evolve our approach to support every single student in finding their own unique path to success here at Edgewater High School. I want to say thank you to our parents and community that stand behind us as we continue to strive for excellence.
On Thursday, we were thrilled to hold our Honor Roll Celebration to recognize all of our incredible students who earned honor roll status for Quarter 1. This celebration highlighted their hard work, perseverance, and unwavering commitment to excellence through their daily academic endeavors and achievements.
Looking ahead, please remember that the ACTNCR test will take place on Tuesday, October 27, for all seniors as well as most juniors who still need to earn a concordant score in Reading or Math. Students should be sure to check their school email for a message from Mr. Hawley regarding their specific room assignments.
Here's what we prepared for you in this week's Eagle's Call!
1) Student Needs
2) Daily Attendance
3) Eagle Spotlight
4) Book Reviewers Needed
5) Read Across Orlando Eagles
6) Perfect Exam Scores
7) Quiz Bowl Team
8) Senior Portraits
9) Eagles in the Community
10) Spanish Honor Society
11) Beyond the Nest
12) Classroom Spotlight
13) Honor Roll Celebration
14) Eagle Athletics
15) College and Career
16) Food for Thought
In Eagle Pride,
Dr. Jackson
| | 🦅❤️ LET’S COME TOGETHER FOR OUR EDGEWATER EAGLES! | | |
We previously shared a post about these student needs, but we fell well short of our goal. We’re reaching out again and asking our amazing community to help us make a difference!
From belts, joggers, hoodies, socks, and athletic shorts to hygiene items and more, every donation helps support our students!
🛒 Shop our Amazon Wishlist here:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/19FF6J6JK31E1?ref_=wl_share
Thank you for supporting our students and showing what it means to be an Eagle! ❤️🤍
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Daily Attendance
Last week vs. the same week in September and August
| | | Oct. | Rate | Sep. | Rate | Aug. | Rate | | Mon 10/19 | 86.0% | Mon 9/21 | 90.4% | Mon 8/17 | 93.3% | | Tue 10/20 | 88.8% | Tue 9/22 | 92.6% | Tue 8/18 | 93.7% | | Wed 10/21 | 89.8% | Wed 9/23 | 91.4% | Wed 8/19 | 93.7% | | Thu 10/22 | 87.5% | Thu 9/24 | 85.6% | Thu 20 | 93.0% | | | The Marching Eagles under Friday Night Lights. Come cheer with us during Senior Night at this week’s home game. | | |
Read Across Orlando
Congratulations to Molly Garvey and Teddy Pridemore!
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Congratulations to the first students to complete all 15 categories in the Read Across Orlando challenge! Fantastic job! I don't think anyone has ever completed one of my reading challenges this quickly. Great job! Both students have earned a trophy that they will receive at the end of the year.
~ Mrs. La Sala, EHS Media Specialist
| | Celebrating Academic Excellence! | | Congratulations to our outstanding Eagles who earned a perfect score on their End-of-Course (EOC) exams! This remarkable achievement reflects their hard work, dedication, and commitment to academic excellence. We are incredibly proud of you! | | Luca Calabrese - perfect score for Algebra 1 EOC | | Juliet Harrison - perfect score for Grade 10 ELA reading exam | | Gavin Horne - perfect score for Biology EOC | | Emiliana Gordon - perfect score for Grade 10 ELA reading exam | | Aiden Leon - perfect score for Biology EOC | | Darius Dhaiti - perfect score for Algebra 1 EOC | | Major Eagle Quiz Bowl Team Win! | | On Monday, October 19th, our Quiz Bowl team won their very first competition this season. Respectfully dubbed the "Battle of College Park," our team faced both Wekiva and Bishop Moore to become reigning champions! | |
Our first home competition is this Monday October 26th. Please wish our students good luck as we seek to maintain our winning streak against Cypress Creek and Olympia.
*** It's not too late to join our team. Meetings are held after school on Fridays in room 3-107 through November 13th.
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LAST CHANCE for Senior Portraits this Wednesday | | Last Wednesday, the Spanish Honor Society was invited to Lake Silver Elementary Hispanic Festival, and we truly represented the Latino community from our school. We shared our students’ projects (pictured just below) and ask kids questions about Spanish speaking countries and they answered. Jesus Tonos set the scenario on fire interpreting the famous song La Bamba! | | Jesus Tonos interprets the hit song La Bamba for all the students and guests at the Lake Silver Hispanic Festival. | | Spanish Honor Society Highlights | | Thursday, October 15 was the last day of the Hispanic Heritage month. The Spanish Honor Society and Spanish Club hosted "La Fiesta Latina." We had music, dance, food and lots of fun! | | |
Beyond the Nest
Beyond the Nest is a section in our weekly community brief where we highlight students achieving extraordinary things outside the classroom. We want to celebrate the talent, passion, and creativity our Eagles bring to the wider community! If you know an Edgewater student doing something exciting, encourage them to fill out the “Beyond the Nest” form on Canvas or StudentSquare.
Student Spotlight: Mackenzie Marin
Congratulations to Mackenzie Marin, a trainee with the Orlando Ballet, who will make her debut as the Queen in the company’s upcoming production of Sleeping Beauty. Mackenzie is pursuing her dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer and demonstrates remarkable dedication as she balances the demands of rigorous dance training with her academic responsibilities. We are proud of her hard work, perseverance, and achievement, and we wish her continued success both on stage and in the classroom
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Classroom Spotlight
🚀 From Research to Rocket Science! 🪐
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Our astronomy students recently completed an out-of-this-world project: the Solar System Guidebook!
As part of their study of the four states of matter (solid, liquid, gas, and plasma), students became space explorers, researching planets, moons, the Sun, and other fascinating objects throughout our solar system. They investigated how extreme temperatures, atmospheric conditions, pressure, and composition influence the forms that matter takes across the cosmos. This wasn't just a research assignment. Students transformed their findings into colorful, creative guidebooks filled with scientific explanations, diagrams, illustrations, and space-themed artwork. The result was an impressive combination of science, critical thinking, and creativity.
From icy moons and rocky planets to gas giants and the blazing plasma of the Sun, students discovered that matter behaves differently depending on the environment. Along the way, they practiced scientific research, expanded their astronomy knowledge, and created some truly stellar work.
🌟 Be sure to check out the photos of exemplary guidebooks in this week's edition of The Eagle's Call! We are incredibly proud of the curiosity, effort, and creativity our young astronomers demonstrated. Houston, we have future scientists! 🔭✨🚀
| | Photos: Honor Roll Celebration! | | Music, ice cream, and major bragging rights! 🎶🍨 On Friday, we turned up the tunes and scooped out the rewards to celebrate our incredible A and A/B Honor Roll students. Seeing our Eagles shine with their certificates and ice cream in hand was the highlight of our week. Way to soar, Eagles—we are so proud of your hard work! | | |
Congratulations to our Girls and Boys Swim Teams on an outstanding performance at the District Championship Meet!
The Eagle swimmers had an incredible District Championship meet! The girls team captured back-to-back District Championships, finishing 1st in every event except two, an impressive display of depth, talent, and teamwork.
The boys' team earned District Runner-Up honors, an amazing accomplishment with a roster of only 10 swimmers competing against much larger teams.
We are incredibly proud of the hard work, determination, and team spirit shown by every athlete. They will be competing at the Regional Championship meet next week. Good Luck Eagle Swimmers!
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Varsity Football Wins District Title!
Orlando Sentinel (Oct. 24) - No. 8 Edgewater defeats No. 13 Dr. Phillips 23-6
Excerpt from the Orlando Sentinel article:
Edgewater (5-3, 3-0) won its second district title under second-year coach Patrick Browning, and ninth in 10 years, dumping Dr. Phillips (5-4, 1-2) in 6A-6.
“I’m so proud of this young team growing over the course of the year,” Browning said. “They embraced getting better each week.”
| | On October 15th, the College and Career Resource Center sponsored fifty 11th and 12th grade students to attend the 2026 HBCU FOCUS Fair at the Rosen Centre Hotel. Students had the opportunity to talk to college recruiters, apply for admission, and they received on the spot acceptance. Students also engaged with potential employers discussing internships, summer, and long-term employment opportunities. | | Scholarship Application Deadlines: | | |
1) Arthur “Pappy” Kennedy Scholarship. Scholarships are awarded on behalf of the YMCA of Central Florida and the Southwest Orlando Jaycees. Recipients must be available for award presentation on Monday, January 18, 2027. Together, we will grant six $5,000 scholarships to local high school seniors who are set to pursue accredited post-secondary education in the Fall of 2027.
Deadline: November 6, 2026
Award: $5,000
https://ymcacf.org/community/y-events/prayerbreakfast/scholarship/
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2) Central Florida Criminal Justice Association (CFCJA) Scholarship. The Central Florida Criminal Justice Association, Inc. (CFCJA) established a scholarship program in 2025. Two $1,000.00 scholarships will be awarded to students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, or professional degrees. Preference will be given to students enrolled in programs focused on criminal justice and public service administration.
Deadline: November 6, 2026
Award: $1,000 (2)
Application attached and in Xello
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3) Florida Debate Initiative + AT&T Scholarship. Florida Debate Initiative, in partnership with AT&T, is proud to offer 10 need-based scholarships of $3,000 each to high school seniors who plan to attend college. Speech and debate builds confident communicators, critical thinkers, and civic leaders. The Florida Debate Initiative Scholarship presented by AT&T celebrates students who have developed those skills and are ready to take them into their next chapter.
a. Deadline: November 20, 2026
b. Award: $3,000
c. https://www.floridadebate.org/att-scholarship?rc=test-site
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4) Burger King Foundation Scholarship. Scholarships range from $1,000 to $60,000 and are intended to offset the cost of attending college or post-secondary vocational/technical school. Recipients are selected through an application process that takes into consideration their grade point average (GPA), work experience, extracurricular activities, community service, and financial need.
Deadline: December 15, 2026
Award: $1,000-$60,000
https://burgerking.scholarsapply.org/?utm_source=commercial&utm_medium=commercial&utm_campaign=commercial1
5) Z.E.T.A. Foundation Scholarship.
a. Deadline: January 16, 2027
b. Award: varies
c. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeZJ3wr5T7RIPgWZo2fX994wppOlfPEHoP95yFbiq9yTNiLsg/viewform
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6) UNCF Fidelity Scholars Program. The Fidelity Scholars Program isn’t just a scholarship; it’s a comprehensive support system designed to empower you to achieve your full potential. Beyond financial assistance, this program provides a wealth of resources, mentors, and college success coaches to help you complete your degree.
Deadline: January 28, 2027
Award: varies
https://opportunities.uncf.org/s/program-landing-page?id=a2iiM000000DsyfQAC&_gl=1*mmeksg*_gcl_au*NTQ4Nzk0NTU2LjE3OTAwMDMxMzM.
7) Operation Homefront’s Military Child of the Year Award:
| | 1) Median US weekly earnings by level of education - latest results: | | | Level of education | 2026: Qtr 3 | 2025: Qtr 3 | 2024: Qtr 3 | | Less than a high school diploma | $819/week | $777/week | $734/week | | High school graduate, no college | $993/week | $980/week | $946/week | | Some college or associate degree | $1,140/week | $1,099/week | $1,089/week | | Bachelor's degree or higher | $1,752/week | $1,747/week | $1,697/week | | | Eagle footnote: Weekly earnings are median figures for the United States for the 3rd quarter of each year which ends on Sept. 30th. Please keep in mind that individual earnings depends upon other factors such as the industry you work in, local demand, years of experience, level of responsibility, the organization you work for, other credentials/certifications you may have acquired such as through Orange Technical College dual enrollment, etc. However, the basic pattern you see in the table regarding weekly paychecks and the differences between levels of educational attainment holds year after year, even through economic recessions. | | 2) Here are America’s best-value public universities. Four are in Florida including UCF. | | 3) Read inspirational quotes for our Eagles about believing in yourself, resilience and setting lofty goals. | | |
Ditka On Belief
I don’t think anything is unrealistic if you believe you can do it. I think if you are determined enough and willing to pay the price, you can get it done.
~ Mike Ditka, football coach and player
Bartlett On Challenges
Your ability to endure discomfort determines the size of your success.
~ Steven Bartlett, businessman
Korbut On Perseverance
Don't be afraid if things seem difficult in the beginning. That's only the initial impression. The important thing is not to retreat; you have to master yourself.
~ Olga Korbut, retired Olympic gymnas
Preston On Communication
I have often found it true that the louder a person speaks, the less they have to say.
~ Douglas Preston, author
Michelangelo On Goals
The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.
~ Michelangelo, artist
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Integrity. Pride. Tradition.
Edgewater High School
Dr. Jackson, Principal
Sunday, October 25, 2026
| | Edgewater High School Senior Leadership Team | |
Principal: Dr. Alex Jackson - 54600@ocps.net
Assistant Principal: Ms. Chastity Pelham - 109026@ocps.net
Assistant Principal: Ms. Ashlee Goletz - 129184@ocps.k12.fl.us
Assistant Principal: Mr. Paul Faircloth - 119663@ocps.k12.fl.us
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This communication may contain information that is legally privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure, and intended only for the use of the addressee(s) named above. If you are not the intended recipient, please note that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Anyone who receives this message in error should notify the sender immediately by telephone or by return e-mail, and delete the message from their computer and any printout thereof. Please note that OCPS utilizes spam and junk e-mail filtration applications in its e-mail systems. That filtering process may prevent or delay delivery of certain e-mail communications. If you do not receive a timely response to an e-mail communication, please contact the intended recipient by phone.
OCPS EEO Non-Discrimination Statement:
The School Board of Orange County, Florida, does not discriminate in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its programs and activities, on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other reason prohibited by law. The following individuals at the Ronald Blocker Educational Leadership Center, 445 West Amelia Street, Orlando, Florida 32801, attend to compliance matters: Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Officer & Title IX Coordinator: Keshara Cowans; ADA Coordinator; ADA Coordinator: Jay Cardinali; Section 504 Coordinator: Tajuana Lee-Wenze. (407.317.3200)
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Edgewater High School | Dr. Alex Jackson, Principal | 407.835.4900 | EHS Website | | | | |
